Just passing by on my whirlwind travels in cyberspace :) Anyway, I feel safe in quoting myself from our own website tonight, since this is a story no one here seems to have picked up. This is from http://www.cbn.org/y2k/insights.asp?file=990111g.htm -------- Not Everyone Believes Electric Industry's Assurances Of Y2K Progress

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB916011336419051000.htm

(Wall Street Journal- paid subscription required)

Despite statements of confidence from the electric utilities that they will be able to supply power in 2000, the Journal reports that regulators and analysts are not responding to Y2K with enough speed or resources. The story refers to a report from a Merrill Lynch analyst who is concerned that the bulk of the industry's spending still remains ahead of it. It also quotes Deutsche Bank chief economist Ed Yardeni who says he doesn't trust the industry's assessment, because there have been no external audits. Says he, "Self-reporting does not give me a real warm, fuzzy feeling." The story also looks at the efforts and concerns of regulators (in Indiana, less than 50% of utilities of all types had responded to state surveys by the December deadline). And it concludes by saying that some power companies can run manually, but only for a limited period of time. It quotes the director of Southern Company's Year 2000 project as saying " I liken it to when you're driving your car and have no instruments."

Drew Parkhill/CBN News

-- Drew Parkhill (y2k@cbn.org), January 11, 1999

Answers

Looks like I might have to subscribe...

-- Shimrod (shimrod@lycosmail.com), January 11, 1999.

Borrowed a copy...Actually a fairly positive article, but it does raise the questions above. Same issue has another article: Wisconsin and Washington State are already planning to mobilize National Guard troops next New Year's. (Plans finalized in Wash., Wisconsin's legislature is about to vote on it.) Oops--they say they're avoiding the word "mobilization" because of its negative connotations. I meant to say they're changing their training dates.

-- Shimrod (shimrod@lycosmail.com), January 12, 1999.